L.A. Photo Fakeout: The magic of framing hides the magic of Macy's

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Listen, Sofitel L.A. We understand that you'd probably rather not advertise for Macy's on your own website -- and we understand you'd rather not advertise the fact that Macy's is right there, bumpin' up against your pool.

But it is. It is right there. You can frame it out of the photos on your website all you want, but we know it's there.

We'll concede that the giant mall is, in a way, a comforting presence; at least we know we'd be covered if a chick from "The Hills" should happen to spill her $12 cocktail on the only swimsuit we brought. Otherwise, as we noted in our evaluation, the mall view is one of several pool-related disappointments: the pool itself small, the surrounding landscaping is meh, and the piped-in lounge music doesn't mask the busy street noise.